Help with flying to ACV (Eureka, CA)
 

I'm going to a conference near ACV in Eureka, CA in May. There are very limited options for flying there, United and one other airline. United is the only one i can use coming from either BDL/ALB/PVD/BOS/MAN.

They are expensive and really inconvenient flights...REALLY inconvenient, requiring 2 stops. I could fly to SFO, but then I have a 6 hour train or car ride. Is there another airport closer to ACV than SFO that I could fly to that is serviced by more than just one major airline?

Look at Santa Rosa (Alaska/Horizon flies in there), Redding (2 carriers) and Medford, Oregon (three carriers). Those are within a 4 hour drive. Sacramento has the most competition and it would be about 5 hours.

Please follow this thread in the FT California Forum.
Thanks..
Obscure2k
TravelBuzz Moderator

I will check these out

Sadly no combinations that make it quicker or cheaper going to any of those three either.

Not sure if this helps you at all... but UA/QX both fly RDD-ACV (UA connects in SFO, QX is nonstop). RDD-ACV runs only $110+ RT with excellent availability. If you have the time, consider an overnight in RDD - beautiful area.

Aside from Redding...
UA offers BOS-SFO-ACV (1 stop) with several daily flights SFO-ACV. During "bad" weather (fog, rain) at SFO, these EMB-120's are often the first to be cancelled though.

CEC is the closest other option. I don't know if anyone other than UA, possibly Alaska, and possibly Delta go there.

Welcome to my world. SFO is probably your best option if you want to save some money. I used to do it all of the time but, now it has to be a really good deal to get me make the drive. But, you'll need to rent a car. The train is not an option. It's about a 5 hr. drive. Yes, there are other airports closer than that but, you'll run into the same situation as acv. If you decide to make the drive it really isn't bad if you haven't done it before. Very nice through the Redwoods. Also if you decide to fly to acv on ua through sfo there is always good opportunities to vdb due to weight restrictions.

I would say it's closer to 6+ hours from SFO, depending on time of day (not long ago, it took me 2.5 hours to drive from SFO-Santa Rosa). And from Santa Rosa to Eureka is more like 5 hours in ime.

I guess depending on traffic and the time of the day it would take somebody 6+ hours. You can get tied up in Santa Rosa. Also depending on where the conference is. I've made it to S.F. in about 4.5 hours many times. Add sometime to get yourself to SFO. Of course I'm very familiar with the drive. Wow! 5 hrs. to drive from Santa Rosa to Eureka. Perhaps if you make stops.

You drive too slow! :D

It can be easily done in about 5 hours or less. Unless you hit traffic near the Novato/Petaluma/Santa Rosa area.

But now that I live in LA, flying is most convenient. QX has nonstop flights, or direct flights that stop in RDD. The stop is usually about 20 minutes or so where not many people leave the plane. UA also flies from SFO, as many have already said. The last time I went up 2 years ago, QX gave everyone free beer or wine to celebrate something... probably the 50th anniversary or something like that. :D

The conference is actually in Garberville, I found out, not Eureka, so that's about 65 miles closer to SFO, where I'll be flying into. Got BDL-ORD-SFO for $265 roundtrip, coming back SFO-PHL-BDL. Overall, seems like the best option, and I only need a rental for a couple of days when I go to the actual conference, and that'll be under $100.

Yeah. I'm not sure which airport is most accessible to Garberville, but it's about an hour from Eureka, so your drive up there should be even shorter, so maybe about 3.5 hours from SF.